New York (PTI): The British Film Institute (BFI) has assured Hindu groups in the United States that it would not screen or release the upcoming Hollywood film "The Love Guru," which allegedly hurt religious sentiments.

In response to a letter written by the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti, BFI said it will not screen the film until necessary changes were made to its content, Hindu groups said.

"Please rest assured that the BFI will not be screening this title nor will be involved with a possible release of it," BFI Press Officer, Ilona Cheshire wrote.

Besides BFI, Hindu groups had also written to British Department of Culture and British Board of Film Classification, among others urging them not to screen the movie till its presenter Paramount Pictures makes the requisite changes.

The film, they claim will hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Hindus worldwide, "who hold the 'Guru-disciple' relationship as sacred".

"If the trailer is an indicator of the content of the movie... then we feel that this movie is most likely to hurt the sentiments of seekers from various spiritual path," Bhavna Shinde of the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti had written in a communique.

The groups have recently been approaching distributors, exhibitors, regulatory bodies, and theater owners in various parts of the world urging them not to distribute "The Love Guru", which is scheduled to be released on June 20.